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SANDY — Real Salt Lake is one of three unbeaten teams in the first month of Major League Soccer, and Joao Plata is a major reason why.
The 24-year-old Ecuadorian striker was named MLS player of the month Monday after totaling three goals and two assists through three matches in March, when RSL went 1-0-2 in league play. The vote was determined by fans on the league website at mlssoccer.com.
“First I want to thank the fans for voting for me,” Plata said in a statement from the club. “When I first came to Real Salt Lake in 2013, the fans were incredible and I want to thank them for continuing that support.
“I think for me the key is training hard every day, helping my teammates and helping my team. I feel happy for that, but I don’t want to stop right here. I want to keep it going.”
Plata won the award with just over 38 percent of the voting, easily topping Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake and Montreal midfielder Ignacio Piatti.
Plata is the first MLS player of the month from RSL since goalkeeper Nick Rimando won the award in June 2010. He joins Rimando, Jeff Cunningham and Alvaro Saborio as players from the Salt Lake club to win the honor.
RSL will face Sporting Kansas City at 6:30 p.m. MT Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
